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Chair being worked on in the gilding studio

Chairs for the Saloon at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton

These chairs are to return to the Royal Pavilion, once they have been re-gilded

Preparing the balls

    There are several stages in the preparation of the balls before the gold can be applied:

    A pile of wooden balls awaiting the treatment
    The replacement wooden balls, ready for their coat of gesso. The gesso is applied with a brush and built up in three or four layers, and then smoothed.
    A ball being worked on at a sander to smooth the edges
    The initial smoothing removes the brush marks from the dried gesso.
    A pile of wooden balls having been coated in gesso
    After a second smoothing with a damp cloth to remove any scratches in the gesso they are now ready for the next step.
    A row of balls having had a yellow pigment applied
    A thin layer of yellow ochre and weak glue is applied to the smoothed gesso. This partially seals the surface and provides a suitable backing colour if there are any misses in the gilding.
    The balls now covered in red bole
    The last stage before gilding is to apply the bole, which is a very fine clay mixed with a small amount of glue. This provides a rich backing colour for the gold leaf, which is so thin it takes on qualities of the colour underneath.
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    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.